Hospital: Chief surgeon found dead in Arizona fire

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — The chief of surgery of an Arizona hospital halfway
between Phoenix and Tucson is among three people found dead in a house fire,
hospital officials said Saturday.

Joyce Bonenberger, her husband, Dennis, and 11-year-old son Trevor were found
in the Friday fire, Karen Kerr-Osman, Casa Grande Regional Medical Center
spokeswoman, said in a statement. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said Dennis
Brough, 50, and Joyce Bonenberger Brough, 51, owned the home.

Medical examiners say they still need to confirm the identities of the bodies
through dental records.

Police and arson investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fire in
a single-story home in a subdivision northeast of Casa Grande. It wasn’t clear
if the victims died in the fire or beforehand.

Rona Curphy, the hospital’s CEO and president, said in the statement that
Bonenberger was a beloved member of the staff.

“She will be remembered for her sense of humor, willingness to train medical
students, and her interest in improving the lives of her patients through
surgical interventions,” Curphy said.

The hospital says Bonenberger had been employed since 1999 and its chief of
surgery since 2004.

Bonenberger was one of the physicians who helped pioneer a breakthrough
treatment for early-stage breast cancer, the hospital said. It involves the
surgical removal of a breast tumor, immediately followed by a therapeutic dose
of radiation, according to hospital officials.